Rep. Lofgren Applauds $900 Million Berryessa BART Extension Grant Agreement

San Jose, CA – Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today hailed the signing of a $900 million multi-year full funding grant agreement for the BART Silicon Valley Project–Berryessa Extension between the Federal Transit Administration and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Congresswoman Lofgren, a key supporter of the project who took part in the ceremony at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda, also touted the release of the first $100 million in funding announced today under the agreement.

"This $900 million agreement is an important milestone in connecting San Francisco to San Jose through regional public transit," said Rep. Lofgren. "Today we celebrate the culmination of a lot of hard work to bring the Silicon Valley Project BART extension into reality. This project has been many years in the making, and when completed, it will provide the Bay Area with improved public transportation and economic benefits for decades to come."

The BART to Silicon Valley project is a multi-phase extension of the existing BART system to San Jose, Milpitas and Santa Clara. The first phase, expected to create 1,600 direct project-specific jobs, is the $2.1 billion Berryessa Extension, a 10-mile, two station project beginning south of the future Warm Springs Station in Freemont through Milpitas and ending in the Berryessa area north of San Jose. Congresswoman Lofgren said President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2013 budget request includes $150 million towards the $900 million multi-year full funding grant agreement.

Click here to view a letter from Secretary Ray LaHood responding to Rep. Lofgren's support for the Berryessa extension.